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Michael Mobbs' Sustainable House

Home
My House
My journey
Electricity
Water
Wastewater
The Kitchen
Products & Services
Low bills living
Services
Book a talk
Off-grid projects
Off-grid fact sheets
Tours
General Public Tours
Model of my house at the Powerhouse Museum
Blog
About
Contact me
Media
Leaky drains and kerbside gardens
Food
21 June 2019
Michael Mobbs
Make a more natural nature strip

Here’s a simple, low cost , low tech design which keeps rain water where it falls to make a self-watering nature strip.

Let’s put nature into the ‘nature’ strips of our cities. It’s easy.

Make a more natural nature strip
2 April 2019
Michael Mobbs
23 years off grid for water in the centre of ...

What does the data tell us about living off-grid for water in the heart of Sydney?

Analysis of water quantity by an American intern in Sydney, Jillian Meehan.

23 years off grid for water in the centre of Sydney - what the data says
6 February 2019
Michael Mobbs
Aircon for on and off-grid houses

Here’s how to have aircon and be on or offgrid for electricity. Cool!

Aircon for on and off-grid houses
Michael Mobbs
26 September 2016

Street Coolers part of Sydney Architecture Festival this weekend

Michael Mobbs
26 September 2016
Street Coolers part of Sydney Architecture Festival this weekend

Join Sydney Architecture Festival tour of Chippendale cool road trial,  off-grid house

Tagged: Urban Heat Island, Off-grid products

Comment
Michael Mobbs
26 September 2016

City rainwater clean as a whistle

Michael Mobbs
26 September 2016
City rainwater clean as a whistle

Lab tests of rainwater at my house have shown it’s clean as a whistle.

Tagged: Rainwater

4 Comments
Michael Mobbs
26 September 2016

Watch Tim Heard split native bee hive

Michael Mobbs
26 September 2016
Watch Tim Heard split native  bee hive

You’re invited (free) to my place to watch Tim Heard, leading Australian native bee expert, split my hive and make two from one. 

Tagged: Streetgarden

1 Comment
Michael Mobbs
12 July 2016

Off-grid house at Gundaroo, NSW

Michael Mobbs
12 July 2016
Off-grid house at Gundaroo, NSW

Going off-grid in Gundaroo - Sue and Danny Ogilvy's story

Tagged: Off-grid

12 Comments
Michael Mobbs
6 July 2016

Adelaide calling . . . 'We're almost off-grid'

Michael Mobbs
6 July 2016
Adelaide calling . . . 'We're almost off-grid'

In this guest blog Marjon and Greg Martin describe the costs and benefits of their new battery system in Adelaide, South Australia.  A fascinating and informative story - thank you both, M.

Tagged: Off-grid products, Green energy, Rainwater, Costs

Comment
Michael Mobbs
30 June 2016

Recent off-grid projects

Michael Mobbs
30 June 2016

Here are six recent off-grid projects we’ve had the pleasure to work on with the owners.

Tagged: Off-grid

Comment
Michael Mobbs
20 June 2016

How to find efficient appliances – despite the internet

Michael Mobbs
20 June 2016
How to find efficient appliances – despite the internet

Would you like to compare all the fridges on the market and find the cheapest to buy and own?

Tagged: Energy, Efficiency, Costs

2 Comments
Michael Mobbs
5 June 2016

Stormwater Part 2

Michael Mobbs
5 June 2016

In this video I show you how as a householder you can keep all stormwater that falls on your property on site.

Source: https://youtu.be/BHHNhZgxy5Y

Tagged: Costs

Comment
Michael Mobbs
5 June 2016
stormwater, rainwater, water, offgrid

How to keep stormwater on your site - Part 1

Michael Mobbs
5 June 2016
stormwater, rainwater, water, offgrid

Part 1 of how you can keep stormwater on your site. In this video I talk about the amount of wasted water and the pollution it causes. In Part 2 I will show you how as a householder you can keep all stormwater that falls on your property on site.

Source: https://youtu.be/dI8fNI4QKlQ

Tagged: Stormwater, Rainwater

Comment
Michael Mobbs
7 May 2016

Students go road gardening

Michael Mobbs
7 May 2016
Students go road gardening

Three students road gardened over three weekends in Chippendale's road gardens for their Duke of Edinburgh awards.  This is their story.

Tagged: Streetgarden

Comment
Michael Mobbs
1 May 2016

How Efficient are Solar Panels?

Michael Mobbs
1 May 2016
How Efficient are Solar Panels?

How to measure the efficiency of your solar panels.

Tagged: Green energy, Off-grid products

Comment
Michael Mobbs
27 April 2016

Bulk solar purchase pays off for off-grid house in rural NSW

Michael Mobbs
27 April 2016
Bulk solar purchase pays off for off-grid house in rural NSW

Group purchase pays off for off-grid project

Tagged: Green energy, Off-grid products, Costs

2 Comments
Michael Mobbs
12 April 2016

Roads increase household electricity bills

Michael Mobbs
12 April 2016
Roads increase household electricity bills

New research into household electricity use shows black roads, no trees and dark roofs drive up household electricity bills.

Tagged: Urban Heat Island, Streetgarden

Comment
Michael Mobbs
12 April 2016

Children give an ecoPOPs to their mum for Xmas and her birthday

Michael Mobbs
12 April 2016
Children give an ecoPOPs to their mum for Xmas and her birthday

In Sydney’s west, Lorna Anderson’s children have given her an ecoPOPs for her birthday and Xmas present.

Tagged: ecoPOPs

Comment
Michael Mobbs
12 April 2016

IPRT reduces stormwater charges for properties with water detention

Michael Mobbs
12 April 2016

For the first time since it began setting water prices NSW’s pricing tribunal (Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal) has proposed more than halving stormwater charges by Sydney Water for properties with rain tanks or significant water detention.

Tagged: Efficiency, Stormwater

Comment
Michael Mobbs
4 April 2016

How to insulate a bathroom

Michael Mobbs
4 April 2016

To make a bathroom warm in winter and cool in summer we can insulate the floor, wall and ceiling.

Tagged: Off-grid products, Energy

Comment
Michael Mobbs
13 March 2016

How to cool a fridge and house with Earth's cool earth

Michael Mobbs
13 March 2016

Here's how to cool a fridge and house using Earth's free cool air harvested from the earth below a house; a 1.15 seconds video.

Tagged: Energy, Efficiency

2 Comments
Michael Mobbs
13 March 2016

Three ways to insulate timber floors

Michael Mobbs
13 March 2016

Here are three ways to insulate a timber floor one of which works for existing floors; a 53 seconds video.

Tagged: Energy, Off-grid

Comment
Michael Mobbs
13 March 2016

How to insulate a double brick wall

Michael Mobbs
13 March 2016

Here is a short video (.59 seconds) showing how to insulate a double brick wall.

Tagged: Efficiency, Off-grid products

Comment
Michael Mobbs
29 February 2016

How can we run our swimming pool more efficiently?

Michael Mobbs
29 February 2016

“After our tour of your house you mentioned that you could tell us how to run our swimming pool more efficiently and cheaply. 

Tagged: Off-grid products

Comment
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Use this site to find and follow off-grid projects

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  • Michael Mobbs
    RT @jo_noCSG: One point >>> never take a gas co CEO’s word for anything - everything mentioned here needs a good ol’ fact check… https://t.co/43efbaqdoK
    18 May 2023, 6:26 pm
  • Michael Mobbs
    RT @openpoliticsAU: The new Member for Aston @MaryDoyleMP has disclosed her interests. The main ones are a house, mortgage and Camry.… https://t.co/QlS7nzCQlz
    18 May 2023, 6:25 pm
  • Michael Mobbs
    RT @FreeDanDuggan: This photo was taken on the morning that NSW #PoliticalPrisoner #FreeDanDuggan was suddenly #kidnapped at #Orange o… https://t.co/JqEbc4Yv8O
    18 May 2023, 6:25 pm

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Sustainable House, 58 Myrtle St, Chippendale, NSW, 2008, Australia

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